Devotions - Prayer
Understanding Your Gift
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
1 Corinthians 12:1
In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church. He correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person’s gift helps the whole Body of the Church.
This is such an important principle for us to learn.
A good example is an administration gift .
“Your spiritual gift of administration/leading is one of the most dangerous gifts in the whole Body of Christ. The reason is that you can see the big picture better than anyone else, and you’re so task-oriented that you could run people into the ground getting your project completed because you think you see it so clearly.(This was me)
That is why the best friend you could ever have is someone with a prophetic gift to discern whether the big picture you see is actually the picture God is directing.
In this example an administration gift is the one gift that can almost stand alone better than any other – at least that is the opinion of the one with that gift.”
Today, I have some special relationships with intercessors and prophetic people whom I depend on for confirmation of direction -with one being my friend and wife Laura.
*I have learned the hard way of coarse, that others spiritual gifts of discernment are of great value in determining strategic direction.
*I have learned that God has placed within each person a spiritual gift that is designed to make the Body of Christ function better for His purposes.
*** When we discover the spiritual gifts God has placed in those around us, we are better able to see the Body function as a real body-totally dependent on one another.
*Some of us are more sensitive to God’s voice because God has gifted us in that way.
* Others of us are less sensitive because God wants us to depend on others in the Body for their gifts.
** Find out whom God has placed around you today and discover a new dimension of spiritual productivity.
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”Proverbs 25:11
Has someone ever spoken words that helped you see something valuable(like your giftings) or unique about yourself that you had never seen before?
Solomon places the timing of a word spoken is a priceless accessory. “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry.”
Jealousy & anger can cause you to use hurtful words. Apples are desirable and our words should be too.
We need to Be honest but not hurtful.
Be O so careful when using our tongue. *Use the TRUTHS from the WORD of GOD.
* Encourage others with the Great News!
In all these things [you] are more than [a] conqueror through him who loved [you]. Romans 8:37
Let God’s promises settle into those places in your heart that need for encouragement today. And then ask Jesus how you might share them. Perhaps there is someone in your life who needs them now more than ever.
Help them see their gift. I have learned through the years that We heal and grow best when we are able to give away to others what we have learned through our trials and experiences in life.
1JN 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with ACTIONS and in TRUTH. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:
Eph. 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Jesus is the ultimate mentor, leader, and teacher. He invites us daily to sit at his feet, to sit beneath his cross, as we learn from him. He wants to teach us all about the forgiveness he earned for us there. And he wants us to learn how to love, how to worship, and how to truly live!
We learn from Jesus. But we also learn from other Christ-followers, from our brothers and sisters in Christ’s body, the Church. And we teach others what Jesus is teaching us about growing in the faith. It’s an awesome responsibility, one that would be scary if we were to forget that Jesus himself lives in us, working in us those attitudes and actions that please him.
God in all his glory made each and everyone of us in a truly special way in that he instilled in us certain skills. Our job is to hone those skills into expanding His kingdom.
Once we connect with His will and purpose for our lives, we will begin to experience His blessings.
We must pray that He helps us or brings others to recognize what we are good at.
The best part about it is that it is going to line up with what we enjoy doing and what brings us great joy. This will help us to perform dutifully and with great enjoyment.
For [you] are God’s masterpiece. He has created [you] anew in Christ Jesus, so [you] can do the good things he planned for [you] long ago. Ephesians 2:10
We are all part of One body and we can not function correctly if there isn’t unity in that body.
Let’s focus on what we’re good at so that we can help our brothers and sisters to do the same.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
God places many “sharpening opportunities” in our lives. As we take advantage of them, we mature as men and women of God, soaring to new heights together with those around us.
We know how to feed our physical body but how do we feed the church Body? We do so by speaking life to on another, by building each other up with love and encouragement, and by working in unison with each other through the Holy Spirit.
As we all know when we let jealousy, bitterness, envy, strife, anger, judgement, and unforgiveness to come into the Body, we allow the body to be broken. Bones busted, tendons torn apart, and muscles strained become evident quickly.
Jesus said that we are to be witnesses to the world BUT when we are witnesses to the hurt and sick world healing should be seen.
If our church Bodies are too invested in healing themselves ALL the time we can’t possibly be operating a health lifestyle.
We must learn how to appreciate who we are individually and what our own unique roles are in the body.
Not everyone can be the head on the body – try to picture a body of nothing but heads, not only would it be ugly but I can’t figure any way it would be an effective tool aside from holding papers. We all want to be important but importance IS given to EACH of us.
Romans 2:11 For God does not show favoritism.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
God says we are all given different measures but He has NEVER said that any one person is more important or significant than another.
James 2: 9 But if YOU show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
What gives our lives significance (aside from being created by the hands of God) is what we do with what we have been given.
Here is a challenge to all of us..
*Instead of looking for each other’s flaws, mistakes, bad spots, or problems; *Instead of looking at what another is doing and being jealous, envious, or bitter in how we differ;
*instead of looking to build up walls, tear each other down, or operate in false love..
***lets begin to really LOVE and appreciate one another. Look for one compliment to pay each other with sincerity.
I guarantee if we start looking for the GOOD in each other we will find the good easier as we go forward and we will find ourselves part of a healthy Body that IS able to produce life.
Thank you, Lord, for your endless commitment and the forgiveness that flows from your cross. Thanks, too, for surrounding me with people who sharpen my faith – people like my wife, pastor’s, Family, mentors, friends and the ones reading this.(The Body)
In Jesus Name I give you all the glory and praise and help us all in making you “Jesus” “Famous” and help us see that our true identity in this life is to be a follower of You Jesus. Thank you for the Whole Body with NO favorites. Thank you for each one of us being Your Masterpiece in this World to do your Will not our own. Thank you for Your Love and Your Patience with each of us. Bring Unity to your Body Lord we pray! Amen
Verses on Gifts: Acts 1:4-8, Acts 2:1-47
Romans 12:4-8a ,1Corinthians 12:4-31
Ephesians 4:11-16, 1Peter 4:10-11
1Corinthians 13:1-3 Genesis 41:37-40
Exodus 31:1-11Daniel 5:10-12
What happens when that belief system collapses? ….
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
People believe their work is their identity. What happens when that systems collapses?
People believe they are worth something because of their accomplishments. What happens when that system collapses?
People believe they are strong when don’t show emotion, look like they have it all together and self-medicate to cope. What happens when that system collapses?
People believe that if you love someone enough, they won’t disappoint us. What happens when that system collapses?
People believe if they accelerate sexuality, they will be complete. What happens when that system collapses?
People believe if they are a good person, everything even outs in the end. What happens when that belief system collapses?
People believe if they go to church, their troubles will go away. (Our daughter will be healed…my marriage will be saved…his addiction to alcohol will end…my struggles with loneliness and depression will vanish…my teenager won’t rebel.) What happens when that belief system collapses?
Why do I give my life to what I do?
* Not because I don’t have trouble.
* Not because I never mess up.
* Not because I think I’m better than everybody else.
*Not because I have all the answers.
*Not because people don’t disappoint me.
*Not because I don’t hurt.
* And, not because I’m immune to unhealthy belief systems of my own.
I give my life to what I do because I KNOW Jesus is the only hope when a belief system collapses.
1 Peter 3: 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
No amount of Jewelry, or makeup, or hair color, or beautiful clothing can cover up an evil heart.
And there is no beauty that can compare with a pure heart that is passionate for God. A clean conscious and pure motives, and love of God, makes a person extremely beautiful and wise. Whether it be a woman or a man.
Be still and know He is God.
If we are not still we can not let God manifest. He absolutely can not and will not move in the atmosphere of anxiety and stress.
*He is God of peace.
God will not make Himself known to those who are full of self power and try to be in control.
*He is God and He needs to be worshiped and feared as God.
***Fearing God with the revelation that He is God and we are His creation Is the beginning of wisdom.
*God is not our equal whom we can argue with and complain to. When we let go of all the fears and unbelief and finally submit to Him in absolute stillness and when we quiet our soul down in total submission to His presence He manifests His glory to His worshipers and makes Himself known.
To know Him is the highest calling.
* He is good but He is God.
*He does not respond to our tantrum and panic He only responds to our worship and submission.
He is our king.
He is the king of glory. Lift up the gates of our heart and let the king of glory come in and rule our spirit soul and body. Return to Him in quiet submission. He will reveal Himself as the king of glory who can conquer every enemy in our lives.
God will heal and restore and prosper us. BUT He will not come until we bow down our PRIDE and let go of our fears and trust Him with absolute stillness of our soul.
Without FAITH we can not stand still. There is no peace for the rebellious and unbelieving soul
* Without faith we can not enter into His rest
* Without faith it is impossible to please God. His manifest presence only comes in the atmosphere of faith and submission.
** Stand still and let God be God and you will see God manifest His glory in the midst of crisis and save you with His miracle wonder working power.
You will see Him part the Red Sea and let you walk on dry grounds in front of all your enemies.
We should separate ourselves from EVERYTHING that instills fear and brings confusion. Refuse to allow anything to undermine your peace and stability in the Lord. If you will do this, you will be able to see clearly the attack of the enemy against you, which will then position you to resist him while you maintain spiritual integrity. The Lord will give you this insight if you will set your heart to see. Put on the “Armor”.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Praise God that by sending His Son Jesus WE HAVE VICTORY!!!!
Jesus is greater then anything or problem. But if we make Him into a pocket size Jesus who we pull out when we have a problem to make our problem vanish—- His power is limited in our life, by our own choice.
1JN 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
We have power over Satan. 1 John 4:4 says the battle is already won, that through Christ we have already overcome the world. Also:
* We DO have power over our minds. *We DO- No compromise, no deals,
*We DO have POWER over our minds!
2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we can take captive to any wrong thought that comes against the knowledge of God and DEMOLISH it.
*** The battles already won, and we are on the winning side. Plus if our God is for us than what could ever stand against? NOTHING.
Thank You Jesus!!!! “The CROSS”
1John 4:15-All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
JN 14: 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Amen
2 Corinthians 6: 14 Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? 15 Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? 16 Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:
“I’ll live in them, move into them;
I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. 17 So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. 18 I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.” The Word of the Master, God. (Message Bible)
– Enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord.
– Keep away from wordly desires. Don’t temp yourself with what you know is wrong.
– Don’t get involved with the world & it’s traps! Stay away from it because it’s a temptation to you.
– Don’t TEAM up (in terms of dating, business, etc) with the unsaved.
There can’t be harmony between the devil & God. We are the temple of God & he lives within us.
Seek the Lord and wait to hear from Him before you make a choice. Don’t be pressured into anything. There is Results in Waiting!
What can we expect from the Lord if we CHOOSE to let Him direct our path?
* First of all, He promises to hear and answer those who wait patiently for Him (Ps. 40:1)
* give them clear instructions so they can follow His path (Ps. 25:4-5).
* They will also experience all the good He has in store for them, since they’ve remained in His will instead of running in their own direction (Lam. 3:25).
*One of the most surprising results will be increased strength (Isa. 40:31).
Normally,we feel strong when we are actively taking charge, plotting our course, and making things happen.
BUT the Lord’s ways are so different from ours.
* He promises to strengthen the one who remains still and quiet before Him, actively listening for His voice.
* He empowers us to endure the wait, and when He finally speaks, He gives us the strength to do what He says.
I don’t know what WE are always waiting for, but I do know that if we BELIEVE what God tells us in His Word and patiently REST in His choice and timing for our situation, we’ll experience a NEW spirit of joy and confidence.
You see, the Lord is ALWAYS faithful to those who seek Him and watch for His plans to unfold right on schedule. He NEVER fails to come through.
Believe His promises and rest confidently in the assurance of Isaiah 49:23: “Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.”
Phil. 4: 6 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, PRAY. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Phil. 4: 19 You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. (Message)
Every time I read this scripture, it stirs my heart. It is such a beautiful picture of the uninterrupted community and selflessness we are called to as members of Christ’s body.”LISTEN”
Acts 2: 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Through Christ we bask in the light of the new heaven and new earth and become the avenue of redemption for God on this old earth.
Our MISSION is to let the light of Christ reflect from our lives so that others will follow. In doing so we are preparing for the day when “the glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.”
Our primary PURPOSE is to live and build the glory and honor for God on that day. This drives our worship, mission, and life.
This is a time when decisive action will be required if you are to make any progress. Your challenges will come in situations where you have been ambiguous. Ask the Lord for wisdom, direction, and guidance, and He will certainly impart it to you. But, when you sow double-mindedness into your circumstances, you will only reap confusion and uncertainty. Refuse to get stuck in indecision. We have His Word to guide and Counsel us.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in FAITH, with NO doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
What is the “excellent way”
Paul speaks of in the New Testament? It is God’s Way of Agape…His Way of Love.
1 Corinthians 12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
Amen
Our loving God is a forgiving God.
“The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression…” Numbers 14:18
Knowing God loves YOU is the ONLY
thing that will give you TRUE identity
and security in this life.
Let me say that one more time!!!!
Knowing God loves us is the ONLY
thing that will give us TRUE identity
and security in THIS life.
“Whom have I in heaven but Thee?And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…” Psalm 73:25
Agape love (true love, Gods love) is the most precious and eternal EVIDANCE of our Christian faith.
When we choose the Way of Agape,
we are actually choosing life.
“Forever the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, TO love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul, in order that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. “Love NEVER fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease, if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” 1 Corinthians 13:6-8
It doesn’t matter how many people
you’ve led to the Lord, how many
Scriptures you’ve memorized, how many personal experiences you may of head or how many Bible studies you’ve taught; if you’re not FULLY convinced God loves you…there’s something missing.
Ephesians 4: 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
I think this is true of many people. We spend years chasing things in this world that we think will make us FEEL loved. But everything this world offers is temporary. Everything. Only two things will last for eternity with the Lord-people and the Word.
The kind of love our souls crave is lasting, eternal. And only God can fill up our hearts with that kind of love.
Psalms 119:88 In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth. 89 Your word, lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
The sad thing about chasing love outside the will of God— is it invites so much into our lives which is the exact opposite of love.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 is a picture of God’s perfect love. It is patient. It is kind. It does not envy… it is not self-seeking… it does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth… it always protects… it always perseveres. Love never fails.
This is not a description of what is inherently ours when we fall in love with another person.
**It is a description of God’s love. And guess what? It is a description of God’s love for YOU.
This kind of love CAN be ours as we become MORE Christ-like and decide/choose to give this kind of love.
*This love is never focused inwardly.
*This love is never about what I’m going to get from another person.
It is deciding/Choosing this is the kind of love I will give away.
FALSE attempts at love will make us impatient, unkind, envious, self-seeking, resistant to the truth, reckless and temporary.
I am challenged by this. Because our souls were designed for God’s fulfilling love, if we aren’t staying closely connected to Him every day through His WORD, our hearts will start to feel empty. Restless. Unfulfilled.
I ask: Can we go a day without breathing? Answer is no we can not IF we want/choose to LIVE. Same with the Word of God being alive and active through the power of the Holy Spirit–if we want to LIVE we will be in the God-breathed Scripture daily.
The Bible is all for me, but not all the Bible is about me.
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Let us never get to the place where we think we are beyond being tempted in this way of not listening to the Holy Spirit in the Word daily. If we are all completely honest, we are only a few bad decisions away from a big mess.
While I have complete hope in God’s ability to restore my mess, the consequences of my chase for love will be severe on many levels.
The kind of love our souls crave will never be found in the things of this world.
Lasting and perfectly satisfying love will only be found when we stop chasing and start LIVING OUT(action) the TRUTHS of God in and through His Word.
1 Love is the point of life.
2 False ideas of love have devastating effects.
3 There are different types of love.
A) Eros ( sinful nature, desire)
B) Storge (An affectionate love, emotional attachment)
C) Philia ( Friendship love)
D) Agope (true love, Gods love)
4 Gods love is more than a feeling.
5 True love must be given away..
1 John 3:14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.
Take a personal inventory of all that distracts us from time with our Lord, spouse, children and Friends. In every family this looks different, but it’s important to take an honest look at our own schedules and to adjust so that we can come alongside all in love as we walk through this tricky thing called life and be able to teach and experience love with them all.
If you will diligently and urgently seek the Lord’s face with all your heart instead of only looking for the Lord to manifest outwardly, HE will release you into a place of freedom and rest.
This inward connection:
* is where faith is born;
* it is the place where prayer is answered.
Come and commune with the Lord in the secret place, which is even hidden from all trouble and stress. Come into His rest and let the Lord establish you in peace and joy.
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
1 JN 1: 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from ALL sin.
God I ask that you expose the darkest areas of my life in the deepest areas of my soul. May Your Light reveal them and bring them forth so that I may confess my sin and be clean and in pure fellowship with You. I want Your light to shine through me and be a light unto my path. Lead me in the paths that I take and may I, a broken vessel, be used by You to shine in this dark and broken world. Lead me where You want me to go.
Col. 3: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. FORGIVE as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Amen
Who’s my counselor.
Psalm 16:7
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart
instructs me.
I can echo those words of David. I know what it is to have access to the Lord’s counsel.
I have come to value the counsel of the Lord through His WORD above that of ALL human wisdom. People in time will always fail us when we put our stock in them—-But God never fails His sons and daughters.
The Lord has shown me so many times in my own experiences of failure and lack of obedience that I now know and trust that the Lord’s counsel is perfect and reliable. I just need patience to wait on HIM because HE has my Best interest in mind.
In the book of Isaiah, the Lord is described as a wonderful counselor, a counselor who is on a level higher than that of:
* human wisdom,
*human insight,
* or human knowledge.
I’m so glad that we all have access to the Lord’s counsel through His Word. All counsel needed is available in His word through the Holy Spirit’s direction.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
And I can echo, too, those words that David utters in the next line in psalms 16:
“Even at night my heart instructs me.” So many times when I have an unresolved problem and I go to sleep and commit it to the Lord, in the night the Lord awakens me. And in the innermost depths of my heart, in the stillness of the night, with that still, small voice, He speaks to me. He shows me the answer to that problem.
Oh, it’s so good to know that we have access to the counsel of the
Lord:
* when we come to the END of our own ability
* when we reasoned everything out and it doesn’t make sense.
*When we are at an impasse in our life and we don’t know which way to turn.
****Remember, the Lord is the wonderful counselor.
Go to Him, commit it ALL to Him and in His own wonderful way He will show you the answer.
In Proverbs 13:12a, the writer tells us “hope deferred makes the heart sick”.
There is a place in life where life becomes so discouraging and hopeless that we lose all hope, and it can actually make us sick. I have been at this place; it is a scary condition. It brings you to the edge of despair. It’s so lonely there.
BUT for counsel we through the Holy Spirit HAVE ALL TRUTH of the Word where we can know Jesus has spoken:
Matthew 11:28″Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Why does God withhold deliverance at times?
*It is in order to bring greater glory from the situation.
**It isn’t because He doesn’t care.
* It is because His plan for mankind is resting in these events.
*It is a finely tuned plan that involves many people and situations – ALL operating at the same time. It can seem cruel at times.
BUT God knows that His children cannot worship Him if they are in bondage and lose all hope.
He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, so He has a plan of deliverance for each of us.
This plan is not always the kind of deliverance we might think is best. It sometimes has PAIN surrounding the deliverance.
God heard their cry. He sent someone to bring them out of slavery “SO THAT they might worship God” (see Ex. 8:1). Interesting that God didn’t say, “to serve Him.” Above all else, God desires our worship.
A person cannot enter into true worship of God while still in slavery and bondage.
“You must not let the circumstances destroy you! Too many in the Kingdom are counting on you to come through this because of the CALLING on your life!” Those were the words spoken to me by a friend one time when I was in the midst of a very difficult business and personal circumstance that was threatening to destroy me emotionally as well as financially. This person saw what GOD was doing and the fruit that GOD wanted to bring from these circumstances. That gave me Hope!
Sometimes we need others around us to push us through the difficult times. If you find yourself in a difficult place today, see where you can sow some seed. Soon you will be reaping songs of joy.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5-6).
God is telling us that if we will do what is unnatural for us in our circumstances, He will make sure that what we sow in tears will return in joy.
Don’t be afraid to take a break and relax. Your intensity in finding solutions to the problems you face on your own- will not even come close to the benefits of quiet rest in the Lord’s presence and trusting the Lord to give you the necessary wisdom for breakthrough. This day and age is not a time to tough it out in the strength of your own soul; it is a time to exercise resolute faith in the Lord’s ability and willingness to counsel you and to bring you through every trial in victory. Only believe!
Psalm 107:28-31 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Amen
by Os Hillman
“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” John 17:21
What is the greatest power that allows the unsaved to make a decision for Jesus Christ?
A It isn’t prayer, though this is important.
*It isn’t good deeds, though deeds indicate a fruitful relationship with God. *It isn’t good behavior, though Christ commands us to be obedient as sons.
**The greatest power God’s children have over darkness is UNITY.
Jesus talked a great deal about His oneness with the Father and the importance of unity in the Body of Christ. It is the most difficult command Jesus gave to the Church, because it wars against the most evil aspect of our sin nature-independence.
In the last days we are seeing God’s Spirit convict His children of the lack of unity among His Church. We are seeing God move between blacks and whites, ethnic groups, denominations, and parachurch groups. There is much work to be done.
The walls of division and competition among His Body are a stench in God’s nostrils. He sees the competition and the pride of ownership and weeps for the lost who cannot come to Him because they cannot see Him in His Body.
** When His Body is ONE, the unbelieving see that Jesus was sent by God.
It is like a supernatural key that unlocks Heaven for the heathen soul. The key is in the hand of Christ’s Church.
When there is unity, there is power.
Scripture tells us five will chase 100, but 100 will chase 10,000 (see Lev. 26:8). There is a dynamic multiplication factor in unity of numbers. We are a hundred times more effective when we are a unified group. Imagine what God could do with a unified Church.
Jesus prayed that we all might be one, as the Father and He are one. He wanted the same love God has for Jesus to be in each of us.
When this love is in us, we are drawn to each other with a common mission.
* The walls fall down.
* The independent spirit is broken. Competition is destroyed. Satan’s accusations are thwarted.
** Our love for each other is manifest to the world around us.
** Lost souls begin to seek this love that is so foreign to them.
Have you contributed to an independent spirit within His Body? Are you seeking to break down walls of competition among Christians, churches, denominations, and ethnic groups?
Until we walk in the spirit of unity, we will hinder those in whom God has reserved a place in Heaven. Pray for His Church to be unified. End Os.
Here are a couple more verses to remind us of what Unity looks like. May the Lord lay upon our hearts and minds the need of Unity in these times we live in. The World Needs the entire Body now. There is power in Unity, using ALL the gifts for the ALL the Body.
Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Eph. 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Eph. 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.(Other version of 8: Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble). 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
I think verse eight sums it up nicely for us as Christ followers. It says to this you “were called” so that you may inherit a blessing. Did you get that? Our future blessing is tied directly to our ability to live in harmony with one another!! I must do everything through the power of Christ in me to make sure I live life in harmony with others. If I can do this I am fulfilling my calling and I will inherit a blessing. A blessing that will allow me to love life and see good day.
How will I do it? Verse ten( 10 For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;) says that I do it by keeping my tongue from evil and my lips from deceitful speech, turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it!
My Prayer: Father help me to live out this scripture in my life. Teach me to live in harmony with others and then instruct me how to model it for people that they too may fulfill their calling and receive their full blessing in this life. Lord teach me your ways that I may walk in them! Amen
How God Uses Pain
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things” (Isa 45:7).
God will use pain in order to create a love relationship with HiM.
*Consider that God allowed Jesus to experience incredible pain in order to create an opportunity to have a relationship with US- His creation.
* Consider how Jesus created a relationship with Paul. He blinded him and used a crisis in his life in order to bring him into a relationship with him and use him for God’s purposes.
*Consider how God recruited Jonah for the mission He had for him.
These are not God’s first choice’s for His creation. Romans 2:4 reveals that God’s preference is to show mercy and kindness: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”
The problem is there are few people who respond to the goodness of God.
***God loves people more than He loves their comfort.****
* God invests a great deal into mankind. * God desires relationship with us and will go to great lengths to create such a relationship in order for us to receive the rewards and inheritance He has for us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5
This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible related to gaining wisdom and direction from God.
*The first part is pretty easy; we are to trust with all our heart.
* But the next part is not so clear. We are not to lean on our own understanding. If we are not to lean on our own understanding, on whose understanding are we to lean? God’s!
There seems to be a process in the scriptures in working with people that I have noticed over the years.
Three distinct stages.
*First, we live based on convenience. Our obedience is largely based on circumstances in our lives. We choose to obey based on the circumstances.
Psalms 27:14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
**The second stage is the crisis stage. God allows a crisis to come into our lives. We are motivated to obey God in order to get out of the PAIN of our situation.
Many times God allows us to stay in this condition in order to demonstrate His love and faithfulness during our pain. Gradually, we discover something new about God and often have a personal encounter with Him that changes us.
Our very nature is affected by this God-encounter.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
***Third phase that is a relationship that is motivated now by love and devotion instead of pain.
This is where God desires us to be. Another way of saying this is we are no longer seeking His hand.
We are seeking Him. We want to know God personally.(RELATIONSHIP)
Hebrews 5: 8 Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, JUST as we do.
*Obedience will NOT last when the motivation is only the removal of our pain.
* Obedience only LASTS when the motivation is loving devotion.
We are told in Jeremiah 17:9a, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”
So what really protects each of us from the deceit of our own heart? I believe it is when we get to a place with God that our decisions are accountable to others, whether that be a wife, a board, or a few close friends who are committed to the SAME godly ideals, this is when we are protected from the deceit of our own heart.
This is one of the hardest things to yield to God-the right to make our own decisions.
Yet, it is the most elementary principle God requires of us to receive His blessing in our lives.
This principle took a long time for me to appreciate. However, today I can tell you I would never make a major decision without the counsel of others who are close to me.
Relational accountability has become lost in our culture due to our hunger for independence.(I can do it MY way)
I have experienced too often the hardship that results from making decisions that God isn’t behind.
Walking in obedience is the only real freedom in Christ.
Deut. 5:29 What I wouldn’t give if they’d always feel this way, continuing to revere me and always keep all my commands; they’d have a good life forever, they and their children!
Where are you in your obedience and what is the primary motivation?
If it isn’t love, why not tell the Lord you love Him today and want to know Him for who HE IS and NOT for what He can do for you and me.
Lord we pray that we continue to be Your instruments of transformation. We declare Your Word from Romans 12:1-2:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Thank you Lord that we are no longer conforming to the world’s patterns and that we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds for Your perfect will for our lives.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
1 JN 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
AMEN
It is God’s secret weapon to destroy fear.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4a KJV
In the battles of the workplace, your peace is actually a weapon. The workplace creates many opportunities to rob us of our peace.
* Cash flow concerns,
* deadlines,
* relationships
* all create stress on us.
Your confidence in the God of peace declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil. You see the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances.
When Jesus confronted the devil, he did not confront satan with His emotions or in fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any voice other than God’s.
His peace overwhelmed satan; His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.
There is a place of walking with God where you simply fear no evil. David faced a lion, a bear, and a giant. In this Psalm he stood in the “shadow of death” itself, yet he “feared no evil.” David’s trust was in the Lord. He said, “…for Thou art with me.” Because God is with you, EVERY adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God!
David continued, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Ps. 23:5a).
**The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.
*Only God’s peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle.
****The source of God’s peace is God Himself.
If fear has been knocking at your door, begin to face that fear with God’s peace. It is God’s secret weapon to destroy fear.
The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
Pain is good-it shows you where there is a problem. God’s truth will always show us to the way of Freedom from the pain.
Phil. 4: 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We all want to experience peace in our life. But how? In this passage, there are 3 simple steps to experience peace in our life
1. Do not worry about anything. We all have problems, issues and challenges in our life. That’s the reality of life. And those things often make us weary and tired with this life. But we can choose not to worry. How?
2. Pray, tell God what you need. Yes, just pray! Talk to God, tell Him what makes you worry. Tell Him also what’s your need. Feel un- worthy? You should not! You are redeemed by His blood. God wants you to pour out your heart’s cry to Him. He is a good God. You are His children. He’s not mad at you. He’s madly in love with you!
3. Thank Him. After you tell Him everything, then thank Him for what He’s done for you. Done what you ask? First, He died for you. You were supposed to die or be punished, but you are not. It’s because Jesus took your punishment, Jesus took your guilty conscience. Jesus forgive all your sins, from past, present and future. Jesus remember those no more. That’s what you should thankful for.
Then after that, you will experience His PEACE. Not only that, but that peace will guard our hearts and minds.
I don’t have all the answers, but I believe when we experience God’s peace, He will give us strength and wisdom to face our difficult situation.
Everything I do and everything I pray,
Is all to worship Christ, so when I obey
I’m Desiring God!
1JN 4: 18 There is no FEAR in love. But perfect love drives out FEAR, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
You have had many opportunities through adversity to fall down and stay down. The Lord calls us to gather our strength and get up. You are not without help; The Lord says “I am with you to lift you up again if you will refuse to give up”. Exercise your faith and seek the Lord’s help, for surely HE will hear your cries and come to your aid. Trust HIM to lift you up again.
Micah 7:8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
I am shocked by the present madness of the world. Government leaders are under God’s judicial blindness. You cannot explain the blindness of so many politicians and leaders. They grope about like the blind leading the blind.
It seems like all restraint is being cast aside and a moral madness has
hardened multitudes.
Today, as you and I grieve over the present madness, do not FEAR but give God praise that you have been saved out of it all. There is but one holiness: Christ’s! Therefore, no one believer is “holier than thou.” There are no degrees of holiness, only degrees of maturity in Christ. You can be a new Christian and still be absolutely holy in Jesus. So it’s foolish to measure yourself against someone you picture as being “holy.” We are all measured by one standard: the holiness of Christ. And if we are IN CHRIST, his holiness is ours in equal measure. Pray-Pray peace and Blessings.
Lord, bless everyone who reads this devotion, so we all can experience Your peace and victory in our life. Lord we also lift up ALL the Government leaders to you this day. We speak Peace and Blessings over each one of them. Let them see You are the ANSWER!
In Psalm 107:8-9, David writes, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Hosea 6:6, For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
What is our understanding of God? How we answer this question directly affects how we live our lives. Some people flee from God because they want freedom, some crumble under the weight of His rules and regulations, some become so engrossed with His love that they loose sight of God’s holiness. A balanced view God is critical and shapes how we view ourselves in His plan. A major problem in Christianity today is that most people focus on one area of God’s character and shape their religion around this focus. This causes us to become one-sided and ineffective – both in how we live our lives and in how we reach others for Him. God’s character is not one-sided. If any area of His character is missing from our understanding, our image of God becomes skewed and our doctrine misguided. My prayer is that this sermon will help you get a more complete picture of God.
God is unsearchable. A well-quoted atheist by the name of D’Holbach explained why God does not exist. He said that in order for God to exist, there must be some understanding of God’s nature. He complained that Christians say that God is incomprehensible to man and we cannot fully understand the magnitude of God while at the same time Christians do not hesitate to assign attributes to God. How can the thing which is most important to man be so impossible to conceive? It seems more rational that God doesn’t exist at all.
Interesting analogy. Give me a definition of mathematics. Before you come up with a definition, consider the magnitude of mathematics. Aside from the standard adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying, there are many other areas far beyond this limited scope. Math progressively goes deeper and more encompassing. There is algebra, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, physics, etc.. Each area of science is founded on equations and calculations. Some mathematicians spend their entire lives trying to resolve one set of equations. Just look at a simple number line that you probably saw in grade school. It is simple and basic. It starts at zero and goes up, or the negative side goes down. What is the highest number you can reach on that number line? What is the lowest negative number you can reach? Just picture the space between 0 and 1. How many times can you divide this? You can break it into 1/5ths, then tenths, 100ths and continue to infinity. Then you can take your 100ths and break them into an infinite number of fractions. It is incomprehensible the magnitude of a simple number line. Each number and each fraction is incomprehensible in itself. About 5 years ago a mathematician made headlines when he found another prime number that was previously unknown. A prime number is a number that can only be divided by itself and 1. He spent years running super computers just trying to find prime numbers. I haven’t even touched on the complex equations of physics, thermodynamics and a plethora of sciences that are all founded upon math. My point is that even a mathematician is specialized to one area of focus and cannot comprehend all that mathematics encompasses.
Based on D’Holbach’s analogy, it would be rational if we concluded that math does not exist. Or perhaps it may be more rational to conclude that we have a very real, very complex and very unsearchable God. If we can’t comprehend the endless depth of a number line, how can a rational ‘thinker’ put God inside of a limited definition? Since the invention of the Hubbell telescope, scientists have said that we have not known the magnitude of the universe. The stars seem to go outward in each direction for infinity. One report said that the life in one teaspoon of soil contains more bacteria than the equivalent number of the entire human population on earth. Another report said that microscopic life is smaller than previously believed. What was previously thought of as the smallest known organisms are now only the beginning of the microscopic world all around us. Since the invention of the electron microscope, science also proves that we may never know how small life gets. The problem is that our technology limits our exploration. An electron microscope requires a vacuum. Air particles cause interference so a vacuum is required and this kills most life. Creation is unsearchable in every area. How does chlorophyll in green plants create sugar from sunlight? Unknown; we know it happens, but we don’t know how. If a leaf on a plant, a spoon full of dirt and life in a drop of pond water is unsearchable, how much more unsearchable is our God?
Indeed attributes have been given to the incomprehensible God. Hopefully the attributes we identify are only those provided by God in His word. I believe it is important to look at all that God has revealed about Himself. A relationship with God is reduced to a lop-sided religion when we zone in on a particular idea of who God is and ignore the rest. We can’t view the justice and judgement of God without seeing God’s mercies. We also can’t look only at God’s mercies and ignore justice. I want to look at what I believe is a balanced look at God. I want to cover three main areas in this study.
God is holy and just. A common argument I hear is that ‘God is love’ and ‘God doesn’t judge’ or ‘God is all merciful’. Indeed God is love and very merciful. However, the love and mercy of God cannot be understood without understanding the holiness of God that demands justice and judges that which is not holy. Look at 1 Peter 1:15-17:
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.
The Bible tells us that God is merciful but in Gen. 6:3 God said, “I will not always strive with man.” God extends His mercies to us and God clearly states that it is His desire that every man be saved and come to the knowledge of God, but God has a limit. Isaiah warns of God’s wrath when the day of account comes. Isaiah 13:9, 11-13:
9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it.
11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger.
Jesus also makes it clear that there will be a day when every person will stand before Him. Jesus came to offer mercy, forgiveness, salvation and to show us how to live. When He returns, He will not be the meek servant, but will be Lord of Lords and King of kings. He will also call His own and reward those who have a personal, obedient relationship with Him. Entering heaven is based solely upon your relationship with Jesus Christ. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23:
21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Jesus makes it very clear that salvation is not automatic; it is not based on saying the right words; it is not based on works and good deeds. It is solely based on a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said that people will show Him their good deeds and He will call them lawless. That is why the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 that all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Our deeds do not change our hearts. Only Jesus can change our hearts and our nature. The Bible deals with the judgment of God throughout the Old and New Testament, but judgment is not the main focus of the Bible. It can’t be ignored because the warning is real and clear. But judgment is not God’s first choice. Judgment only comes when we refuse God’s grace and His mercies. We refuse by demanding our own way. The only way to get God’s mercies is by submitting to God’s will. If we want to be the god of our destiny and the sole authority of our own life, God will allow us to do so. But there will be a time to account for our choice.
God is our teacher and counselor. Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would teach us all things. Look at John 14:26:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Those who have never accepted Jesus as savior do not have this promise. This is why they do not understand the Bible. That is why 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man does not understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. It is the Holy Spirit that lives within us that teaches us the things of God and opens our eyes to the scriptures.
God gives wisdom by His Spirit. James 1:5 says that if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. We should ask God for wisdom each day. My own wisdom is lacking. I sometimes make bad decisions; I react to people based on my human emotions and knee-jerk reactions. The wisdom of God directs me and gives me the confidence that I am doing the right thing and going the right direction. The problem is that most people either don’t ask of God, or they don’t listen when wisdom directs. Look at Proverbs 1:24-26:
24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes…
Don’t ask and then refuse the counsel of God. Trust God and follow His lead. Consider the advice of Proverbs 3:5-7:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.
Ask for wisdom, trust in God’s wisdom instead of your own understanding, let your ways acknowledge God’s direction and He will direct your paths. When someone commits to following God’s lead, we have the promise of Isaiah 30: 21, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”
When we are God lead, our words will honor God. In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Proverbs 16:1 says, “The preparations of the heart belongs to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” We prepare our hearts by seeking God and knowing His word and God will call to mind His word in the time of need. Jesus emphasized this principle when He was warning his disciples that they would have to stand for their faith. Matthew 10:19-20:
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
God’s grace and mercy. Corrie TenBoom said that there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still. Corey suffered for her faith in the Nazi work camps. Sometimes the depth of God’s love is overlooked until we are tried and have to totally depend on God. Don’t mistake suffering and trials as being judgments from God. They are not the same. God walks with us through trials and gives the promise that all things work for our good. Leaning upon God’s grace is a part of trusting God and walking by faith. A common comment I get from those who do not want God is, “You are just using God as a crutch.” To that I say, “Absolutely.” What they don’t realize is that if you don’t need a crutch, you are going the wrong direction. Who struggles to go downhill? I need a crutch because the mountain is steep and I can’t climb on my own. God indeed is there to help me, but God will not carry me. God will challenge me, but He will not let me fall. The challenge is, do I trust enough in God to hold on to Him even when the climb is steep or will I let go and take the easy way downward? Sometimes the climb takes its toll and God is there to comfort and restore with His tender mercies. Psalm 34:17-19,
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Hard times will come. Struggles are a part of life. We aren’t in heaven yet so we can’t expect a carefree life. God delivers His own. Psalm 23 is a short chapter that everyone should commit to memory. When I am exhausted, He restores my soul. God doesn’t leave me in the green pasture beside the quiet waters. He lets me be restored and then He leads me through the hard times. As I go with Him, I am comforted by His presence, not by my own abilities. God has a plan for your life, but you can’t live that special plan out without following the Lord.
I love Lamentations 3:22-25:
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
God’s mercies never fail! God loves to show mercy and goodness to us but He will never sacrifice His holiness to do it. Numbers 14:18 gives us a balanced perspective: ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ God is patient and desires to give forgiveness and mercy, but if we refuse God’s plan of salvation, He will not clear our guilt. The offer is extended. He is God and we don’t have the right to choose our own way of salvation. God made the supreme sacrifice and saved us through His own suffering and paid our debt with His own blood. When God chose to die for our sins, how can anyone say that other ways are just as good and all religion is the same? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.” He also said that His commands are not grievous. His burden is not heavy and His yoke is light. 2 Peter 1:1 spells it out clearly, “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.”(NIV) Our faith is founded solely through Jesus Christ.
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Hosea 2:14-16(I love the Message Bible here)
14 “And now, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again.
I’m taking her back out into the wilderness where WE had our first date, and I’ll court her. 15 I’ll give her bouquets of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She’ll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt. 16 “At that time”—this is God’s Message still—“you’ll address me,‘Dear husband!
’Never again will you address me,
‘My slave-master!’
So many times we hear people talk about how they are in a tough spot in life. As I did, they wonder where they left God, where they went wrong, to get into their current struggle.
Did you notice it though? God says if you’re walking with Him, you’re going to the desert together.
*SOMEtimes we do face trials and struggles as ways to bring us back to God.
*OTHER times we face trials and struggles because we ARE walking with God and the first place He heads is the path of most resistance.
It is in the tough times – in the struggles – that we find times of hope, our peace, or security in Christ.
It is where we begin to form an experiential knowledge of God. It is where everything changes.
My mistake in the past during the tough times was that I was spending the season I am in, waiting for the next season instead of BEING where I am! Had to learn to Bloom no matter where I am planted!
The Purpose of the Desert by Os
Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. – Hosea 2:14
If you have an important message to convey to someone, what is the best means of getting the message through?
Have you ever tried to talk with someone who was so busy you could not get him to hear you?
Distractions prevent us from giving our undivided attention to the messenger.
So too, God has His way of taking us aside to get our undivided attention.
For Paul, it was Arabia for three years; for Moses, it was 40 years in the desert; for Joseph, it was 13 years in Egypt; for David, it was many years of fleeing from King Saul.
God knows the stubborn human heart. He knows that if He is to accomplish His deepest work, He must take us into the desert in order to give us the privilege to be used in His Kingdom.
In the desert God changes us and removes things that hinder us.
He forces us to draw deep upon His grace.
The desert is only A season in our life. When He has accomplished what He wants in our lives in the desert, He will bring us out.
He has given us a mission to fulfill that can only be fulfilled after we have spent adequate time in preparation in the desert.
*Fear not the desert, for it is here you will hear God’s voice like never before. *It is here you become His bride.
* It is here you will have the idols of your life removed.
* It is here you begin to experience the reality of a living God like never before.
Someone once said, “God uses enlarged trials to produce enlarged saints so He can put them in enlarged places!”
(End os)
In our weakness, we are strengthened by the Spirit of the living God.
How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well?
We ALL need the encouragement of God’s Word: ‘Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph’ (2 Corinthians 2:14).
When everything seems to be going wrong, we need to be reminded of God’s Word: ‘In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37).
When we feel so weak, we receive strength ‘from God’. We are strengthened by ‘the Spirit of the living God’ (2 Corinthians 3:5, 3).
We must learn to look beyond our circumstances to our Saviour.
In Him, we see ‘the surpassing glory’. As we look upon ‘the glory of the Lord’, we are ‘changed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory’ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
In life’s many hard times, may God help us ALL to see what He is doing in our lives and not only what we think is happening to us.
He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me (2 Samuel 22:20).
Get 2 thoughts here:
1. I love David’s description of God’s deliverance of him. David was surrounded at times in battle with nowhere to go or no room to move.
When we are under attack or feel like the enemy is all around it feels very much like we have no room to move or even air to breathe.
We even feel isolated and that any step we take would potentially take us over the edge.
David knew how this felt and describes the feeling of what it’s like to be FREE and get back out into the open with plenty of space and room and even said that God did that because He delights in him.
God wants to rescue us and give us room to breathe and stretch our legs and run around free in Him all because he delights in our relationship with Him. What an amazing and loving God we serve.
2. David repented from past sins and God forgave him.
David knew that God doesn’t remember our past as the enemy often likes to remind us of; we repent God forgives.
David MOVED ON to a FREE and OPEN relationship with God believing in FAITH that He was (Just as God viewed him) righteous before Him.
WE ALL need to allow God’s forgiveness to penetrate deeper into OUR heart and accept that He views US as righteous and loves US and will reward US as a result.
God thank you so much that when you say you forgive you truly mean it. Help me resist the enemy’s lies that would say I am not good enough to serve in your kingdom!
1 JN 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
Amen Yes-WE DO fight From victory-not for victory–Jesus, at the Cross Paid In Full for EACH one of us!!
Let’s continue to encourage one another each day through our struggles and pains till that Great Day our Lord returns!!!!!
1 John 3:17-24
19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. 23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
In case we didn’t already get it when Jesus told us and again when Paul and then Peter said it, John hits us with it one more time. Love one another. No, really. If I want to feel the love of God and I mean filled up with it, I MUST show love. “Not with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
I’m not perfect at this by any stretch of the imagination. I am getting better at it, I think. But not through me just being a “good person.” Oh no. As I have spent more time in God’s Word, with other believers like yourself and in prayer, more time not focused inward on myself, I have felt a pull to show God’s love that is welling up in me to the world.(Transformation)
In today’s world, let’s be honest, words are cheap… people judge us by our actions. The Apostle John tells us that our words do not show love… but it is by our actions. What are we doing today to share the love of God with those around us?
Remember Romans 8:1
There is no NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
We are free – no longer bound by sin or guilt. And even when we FEEL guilty and when we condemn OURSELVES – God is greater than our hearts! We are free in Christ! Completely free…
What LOVE and TRUTH that has been given to us that we may go out and share with All we come into contact with on a daily bases-of what the Lord Jesus has done for US!
Be ready for a battle –I asked myself- why do you think he gave us a breastplate, a sword, a helmet, and a belt? Did I think I wouldn’t have to use them? News flash, to myself, life is NOT a bed of roses… well maybe, if you account for the fact that the roses have MILLIONS of painful thorns.
Knowing our identity in Christ will change the way that we accuse and condemn yourselves.
First of all, I need to love the Father. Express our love to our God. Be grateful. Show your love by the way you live, the decisions that you make, the thoughts that you allow to linger in your mind.(Romans 12:1-2)
Learn the nature and character of God. God is good. He is easy to love when you know Him.(See JN 17:3)
Isaiah 65:24 – Before they call, I will answer.
This is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa .
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).
We also had no special feeding facilities.
Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates)..
‘And it is our last hot water bottle!’ she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa
it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.
They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
‘All right,’ I said, ‘put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.’
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth , prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. ‘Please, God’ she prayed, ‘Send us a hot water bottle today It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.’
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, ‘And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?’
As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say ‘ Amen ?’ I just did not believe that God could do this.
Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.
Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas – that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.
Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the…..could it really be?
I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.
I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, ‘If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!’
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked, ‘Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?’
‘Of course,’ I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child – five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it ‘that afternoon.’
‘Before they call, I will answer.’ (Isaiah 65:24)
When you receive this, say the prayer. That’s all I ask. No strings attached. Just send it on to whomever you want – but do
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. Let’s continue praying for one another.
This awesome prayer takes less than a minute.
Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I ask You to minister to their spirit. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through them Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, guidance, and strength. Where there is fear, reveal our love and release to them Your courage.. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. I ask You to do these things in Jesus ‘ name. Amen
P. S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both. Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would do.
‘Before they call, I will answer.’ (Isaiah 65:24) – I believe this is true in our lives, Amen.
Back to the basics
If you were to look at the basics of a house you will see that they are really all the same.
1 John 3:1-24
Reference: v.11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
Explore: In our area in which we live there have been thousands of new homes built in the last few years. Some of the houses are double storey where others are single; some have brick facades where others are rendered; some have five bedrooms where others only have two; and some of the houses have a veranda out the front where others don’t even have eaves.
When you drive around you can see the many variations of all the different houses.
But if you were to look at the basics of a house you will see that they are really all the same. They all have a concrete slab, they have a wooden frame, they have a shingled roof and they are all designed to give people shelter.
Strip away all the detail and they really aren’t all that different from each other.
Application: As we go through life we experience many different ways in how we can express our faith. Some people go on mission trips while others cook meals for their neighbours; some people write notes of encouragement while others volunteer at the local school,church,missions,food shelf,senior homes,hospitals etc. .
There are so many various ways we can express our faith but when it comes down to it, it’s all about love.
That’s what we have been instructed to do from the very beginning, as John says. When Jesus came and told people to love each other He wasn’t bringing in something new, He was just reminding us about what God has been telling us from the start.
We are often so concerned about other people’s expression of worship that we forget that our real focus should be on how WE Love each other.
No matter which denomination or expression we are a part of EVERY follower of God is commanded to love one another.
Prayer: Lord, we can often get so caught up in the details. Help us to put love as our first priority. Amen.
How do you see others expressing their faith through love?
What can we do to put our focus back on love?
Have a great week!
1John3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!
Nehemiah 8:9-10
Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
The People started crying when God’s law was read to them. Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levities who taught the people told them this was a special day for the Lord their God. They were told not to be sad or cry. Nehemiah told them to share their food and drink with those who had none. Again, he told them not to be sad. This was a special day for the Lord. The Lord would make them happy and strong. All the people cried when the heard the words of the law. The were reading the Scriptures. As the Scriptures were explained the people came under conviction. They realized how far they had failed in keeping the Scripture. The Scripture brought conviction to their hearts. When they realized how they had failed God, they began to cry when they heard the Scriptures. But Nehemiah told them not to weep because this was the day they renewed the covenant with God. They were to rejoice because they were coming back to God. They were to share among one another. It was a time of restoration. The people felt sad because they were aware of their own sin. However, they could walk in joy because God was doing a great work.
I know that when the darkness starts to creep in, when satan tries to throw an attack my way, or simply tries to steal my joy – that:
I can stand my ground. I have scripture to throw back his way – and constantly remind him that he has already been defeated and has no place in my life.(1JN 4:4)
I have all the weapons(Eph. 6) that I need to fight this spiritual battle.
Without the word of God and the brothers and sisters in Christ, that I have come to know, I would be at a loss. In all trials and tribulations – and Jesus told us that there would be – I try to remember this “The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!”
Take heart – Do not grow weary – God sees you and He knows our needs – He will always provide!
Most of all remember – THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!
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